Tuesday, 30 December 2014

On many occasions, Sepia Saturday has sung the praises of the Flickr Commons initiative, where major museums and libraries agree to having their collection of old digital images made available to the general public. There are now almost 100 institutions taking part in the initiative and collectively they have made their vast historical resources available to lovers of old photographs on a copyright free basis. I thought that a good way to celebrate the initiative was to start a trawl through the 97 collections that currently make up The Commons on Flickr, using a random image from each collection as our weekly theme image.

We start the trawl with an image from the collection of the HURON COUNTY MUSEUM AND HISTORIC GOAL which is entitled Turquallah Hut, 1897. The photograph was taken by Reuben R Sallows in the vicinity of Goderich, Ontario, Canada. (More information about the image and the collection HERE). For us Sepia themes, the image might bring to mind bikes, tents, music, flags or hats - or indeed anything else that comes to mind. Simply post your post on or around Saturday 3 January 2015 and link to the list below.

But before you do that, see what was caught in the sepia net as the trawl of Flickr Commons continued.

That's all for the future. For the first week of the year all you have to do is to get on your bike, play your guitar, sit on the ground, hang out your flag, put on a silly hat ... and generally look pleased with the world.

Tuesday, 16 December 2014

So here we are, at the end of the fifth year of Sepia Saturday, still going strong, still going sepia. Tradition dictates that we slow things down a little over the festive season with a single call covering both Christmas and New Year. And tradition dictates that it is a festive prompt. So here it is - families, festivities, trees, candles and wine. The image comes from the Flickr stream of the Archives of the Royal Family of Denmark. All you have to do is to post an old image linked to this seasonal theme (or not if you are a Sepia Scrooge) sometime over the festive season and link it to the list below. And don't forget to keep coming back to check out the updated links to the Christmas Linky List.

Before you start tucking into the mince pies and Christmas pudding, here is a bit of a preview of what awaits you in 2015 (a little longer than normal so that you have plenty to occupy you during the post Christmas hiatus!)

260 : Bikes, tents, music, hats, flags - a theme-packed image to start the new year

Tuesday, 9 December 2014

Our Sepia Saturday challenge this weekend is a little different. What we are asking you to do is to forget the foreground and look into the background. Take, for example, this pedestrian snap of my Uncle Harry, Auntie Annie and Unknown Man. The centre of attention is the three figures walking down some seaside promenade, but the interest in such a shot is probably limited to those fascinated by the everyday history of my family (a small and select group of people). But if your move your focus to the background there is a wealth of interest. Note the sailor in uniform, suggesting that this might have been a wartime shot. But there are still cast-iron railings on top of the wall and later in the war all such things were taken down and melted to make gun barrels or some such thing. Look at the hats, look at the sensible shoes : there is enough to keep you busy for a whole Sepia Weekend. So Sepia Saturday 258 - post your posts on or around Saturday 13 December - gives you the opportunity to look into whatever background you care to investigate. And if you don't want to do that, you can also take up any of the potential themes in the image above. Or you can cast themes aside and simply post any old picture and any new thoughts.

The Christmas break is coming up and, by tradition, we just have one Sepia Saturday call over the festive season. Here are details of that call and also the first couple of 2015.

259 : Our traditional Christmas and New Year double-issue gives you families, meals, and - of course - Christmas.

260 : Bikes, tents, music, hats, flags - a theme-packed image to start the new year

So there we are - there is plenty to keep your mind active over the Christmas period. But for now, just keep your eyes to the front and look to the back, and sign up for Sepia Saturday 258 on the Linky List below.

Tuesday, 2 December 2014

There is something for everybody in Sepia Saturday 257 (post your posts on or around Saturday 6th December 2014). There is a father and son, there is a dog, there are some wooden steps, and there is even a little cowboy with a lasso. The 1916 picture comes from the Flickr stream of the Provincial Archives of Alberta. If you can match some aspect of the theme image do so. If not, don't worry, just post any old photo and tell us a little about it.

Before you head off to lasso yourself a sepia post, take a look at what is coming up for the remainder of 2014.

258 : Scenes cropped from the background of other photographs,

sailors, and people walking away.

259 : Our traditional Christmas and New Year double-issue gives you families, meals, and - of course - Christmas.

There you go : just take a step towards a perfect Sepia Saturday post and link it to the list below.

Monday, 24 November 2014

As a general rule, if you take a daft photograph and then let it soak up eighty years of history it will become even dafter. This is certainly true of this 1930 photograph of the Swan Maiden's Carriage at the Grace Brothers Ball in Sydney, Australia. Grace Brothers were - believe it or not - a famous Department Store, and the strange scene depicted in this photograph (which comes to us by way of the Flickr stream of the Powerhouse Museum) is as strange as anything you might have seen in an episode of "Are You Being Served?". Possible themes for Sepia Saturday 256 include festivals, floats, feathers and fair maidens. Whatever you decide to go with, just post your post on or around Saturday 29th November and add a link to the list below.

But before you swan off and look for a matching old photograph, take a quick gander at what is to come in the next couple of weeks.

257 : Lassoo, Dad and Son, porch, dog, cowboy

258 : Scenes cropped from the background of other photographs,

sailors, and people walking away.

That is all for the future. For the moment, all you need to do is to climb aboard the Swan Maiden's float and glide down to your rendezvous with Sepia Saturday 256.

Tuesday, 18 November 2014

The title of this old photograph - which comes from the Flickr Commons stream of the National Archives of Estonia - is "Eveline Maydell making a silhouette, with her models. Indianapolis 1931" Eveline Adelheid von Maydell (1890 - 1962) was a German-born silhouette artist who lived in the USA from 1922 onwards. She was described as being ambidextrous : a Milwaukee newspaper article from 1942 said "she sketches and designs with her left hand and with her right snips with minute scissors the silhouettes..." Sepians also need to be ambidextrous - composing words with their left hand whilst assessing old images with their right - and we invite you to contribute all these skills to your contributions for Sepia Saturday 255. Just post your post on or around Saturday 22 November and then (unlike some idiot who forgot last week) link the post to the Sepia Saturday Linky List below. What could be easier than that. Before you start snipping away, take a look at what is to come in the weeks ahead.

256 : Festivals, floats, feathers and fair maidens

257 : Lassoo, Dad and Son, porch, dog, cowboy

But the nightmares of two-legged swans and children garroting their fathers is for the future. For the moment try to concentrate on Sepia Saturday 255 - and be careful not to cut yourself with those scissors.

Tuesday, 11 November 2014

Sometimes when you are battling against the flow of events you need a helping hand; someone to come along and give you a lift. Love is getting your feet wet so that others can remain dry. When a barrier needs to be overcome, two legs are better than four. Whatever lesson you care to read into this weeks Sepia Saturday theme image, all you have to do is to post a post on it and publish it on or around Saturday 15th November 2014. The image comes from the Flickr stream (or perhaps in this case, the Flickr River) of the Provincial Archives of Alberta and is simply called "Couple Crossing A River". Once you have posted your post, link it to the list below and then go along with the Sepia flow.

But before you get carried away, take a look at the next two Sepia Saturday subjects.

255 : Children, train sets, crafts, silhouettist,dogs, family groups

256 : Festivals, floats, feathers, fair maidens

That is all for the future. Now it is time to jump in to Sepia Saturday 254 and get you feet wet. You won't be alone - a fellow Sepian will be along to give you a helping hand.

Tuesday, 4 November 2014

I have to confess, I have never been a fisherman. The thought of sitting next to some damp river bank waiting for some obliging fish to bite leaves me cold. The thought of having to push a sharp hook through some non-obliging worm leaves me frozen. I am much happier with an old photograph of some fishermen, and that is just what we have for Sepia Saturday this week. It is a photograph that dates back to 1916 and which has been shared via Flickr Commons by Alberta Archives. All you need to do is to cast your digital hook into your collection of old images and come up with something that may or may not match our theme image. You might want to go with miners or with anglers, with fishy tales or with three men : whatever you go with just post your post on or around Saturday 8th November 2014 and add a link to the list below.

Whilst you are waiting for inspiration to bite, you might want to look at the next couple of Sepia Saturday themes.

254 : Couples, clinches, crossings, hitching a ride

255 : Children, train sets, crafts, silhouettist,dogs, family groups

So there we go. Sit back, clear your mind of all worries and cares. Cast your line and see what you can catch.

Tuesday, 28 October 2014

It was a big day in the history of Dollinger Steel of Beaumont, Texas. It was their 50th anniversary dinner and countless guests had been invited to the celebratory dinner. And the photographer had come along as well to record the event. Back in the days when photographs were about more than just an idle click of a mobile phone touch screen, events and photographs went together. Weddings, birthdays, gatherings, anniversaries and parties : none would be complete without the burst of a flash bulb and all those practised cheese-smiles. So for Sepia Saturday 252 - post your posts on or around Saturday 1st November 2014 and add a link to the list below - we are asking you to feature an event, a tent, a cooking pot or even a name-tag. Let your freedom of interpretation be as extensive as a hungry diner queue and as voluminous as a generous cooking pot. Whilst you are waiting to fill your sepia plate, you might like to contemplate the next two Sepia Saturday calls.

Tuesday, 21 October 2014

I'm back. First let me thank Marilyn for looking after the blog, on top of all her work on the Sepia Saturday Facebook Group, whilst I was away. When she chose this splendid image from the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Centre, she suggested as possible theme interpretations - bobbies, bellies, bums and brushes - but one could keep the alliterative pendulum swinging by adding beards. Whatever your choice of old image - be it a b or be it not - simply post your post on or around Saturday 25th October 2014 and then add a link to the list below.

Before you accompany the constables to the Police Station to help them with their enquiries, take a look at the next couple of Sepia Saturday calls.

Monday, 13 October 2014

This week’s prompt picture comes from the Powerhouse Collection via Fickr Commons, titled ‘A Man And His Shoe Repair Stall’ and dated 1930. It’s a hand-painted lantern slide but there is no other information given. You can let your imagination run free with your responses to this one. Street traders, roadside artisans, menders, cobblers, tools-of-the-trade, hand-colouring and lantern slides - or you could celebrate Sepia Saturday’s 250th Edition with a party!

Of course you don’t have to theme and can simply post an old picture or two with a link back to Sepia Saturday, on or around 18 October. Enter your (direct) link to your own blogpost below and leave us a comment please. Then take a trip to other Sepians to see what wares they have displayed; and remember to show your appreciation of their efforts with a word or two in their comments section.Don’t forget that there is a Facebook group for Sepia Saturday contributors. Why not join us as we have a lot of fun and post some interesting items there. You will need to have posted on Sepia Saturday at least once; then you’ll be given a warm welcome.Marilyn (aka Little Nell)For those who like to plan ahead here are the next two prompts:

Monday, 6 October 2014

It’s difficult to guess what is going on in the above photograph, but we can have fun trying. The picture comes from the TAHO (Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office) via Flickr Commons, and is simpled titled ‘Old Coaches 1900’. Alan is still on his travels, though his mode of transport is somewhat different to the one in our prompt picture. I wonder if he is wearing his sunhat, and will a fellow traveller playfully try to knock it off his head? This is mischief being made by idle hands; the coachmen are waiting for their passengers and a little clowning around is going on for the camera.

No mischief is expected from our Sepia Saturday participants this week. There are any number of themes that can be taken from this picture: coach rides, old transport, roof-racks, luggage, waiting, animated discussion, clowning, cab drivers, or whatever else pops into your head. Of course you don’t have to theme and can simply post an old picture or two with a link back to Sepia Saturday, on or around 11 October. Enter your (direct) link to your own blogpost below and leave us a comment please. Then hop aboard the Sepia Saturday coach and visit other Sepians to see what they made of the prompt; don’t forget to show your appreciation of their efforts with a word or two in their comments section.

Just time to mention that there is a Facebook group for Sepia Saturday contributors. Why not join us as we have a lot of fun and post some interesting items there. You will need to have posted on Sepia Saturday at least once; then you’ll be given a warm welcome.Marilyn (aka Little Nell)For those who like to plan ahead here are the next two prompts:

Sepia Saturday

Launched by Alan Burnett and Kat Mortensen in 2009, Sepia Saturday provides bloggers with an opportunity to share their history through the medium of photographs. Historical photographs of any age or kind (they don't have to be sepia) become the launchpad for explorations of family history, local history and social history in fact or fiction, poetry or prose, words or further images. If you want to play along, all we ask is that your sign up to the weekly Linky List, that you try to visit as many of the other participants as possible, and that you have fun.